USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced they will order an additional 3 million electronic identification (EID) tags for ranchers.
A federal mandate went into effect on Nov. 5, requiring certain classes of cattle and bison to have both visually and electronically readable tags when crossing state lines.
“NCBA pushed for more EID tag funding for the implementation of the Animal Disease Traceability rule, and this one-time purchase will help alleviate the cost of these tags while enabling the fastest possible response to a foreign animal disease outbreak,” the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) said in its Beef Bulletin.
Shortly before the rule’s implementation, a group of ranchers and cattle industry associations sued the USDA in federal court to block the rule, which is still pending.
